Fourth of July Traffic Advisory, Use MARTA When Possible
On Wednesday, July 4 – Independence Day – Atlanta will host the 37th Annual Peachtree Road Race and the “Salute to America Parade,” which will bring thousands to the Buckhead, Midtown and downtown areas.
- The Peachtree Road Race is scheduled for 7:00 a.m. Assembly-area streets in Buckhead will be shut down at 5:00 a.m. and will remain closed until the event is over. Affected streets for assembly are Peachtree Road between Piedmont Avenue and Peachtree Dunwoody Road; Buckhead Loop between Interstate 400 and Peachtree Road; and Lenox Road between E. Paces Ferry Road and Peachtree Road.
- The following streets will be closed for the Peachtree Road Race beginning at 6:30 a.m.: Peachtree Road between Peachtree Dunwoody Road and 10th Street; 10th Street between Peachtree Street and Monroe Drive; and Piedmont Avenue between 5th Street and 10th Street.
- From 1-4 p.m. on Wednesday, the following streets will be affected for the Annual Fourth of July Salute to America Parade: Peachtree Street between Pine Street and Marietta Street; Marietta Street between Peachtree Street and International Boulevard; Centennial Olympic Park Drive between International Boulevard and Martin Luther King Boulevard; and West Peachtree Street between Pine Street and Peachtree Street.
It is strongly recommended that MARTA be utilized when possible. The Atlanta Police Department (APD) will strictly enforce all traffic and parking laws by ticketing and impounding illegally parked vehicles.
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Ongoing City Project Makes Obtaining a Building Permit More Efficient
Last week, Mayor Shirley Franklin held a news conference in City Hall to announce the successful results of the Bureau of Buildings Permitting Improvement Project, which has drastically reduced the time it takes to receive residential, commercial and multi-family permits.
Mayor Franklin joined City officials Luz Borrero, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Steve Cover, commissioner of the Department of Planning and Community Development and Ibrahim Maslamani, director of the Bureau of Buildings, to announce the project results. Also in attendance was AJ Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress, who had been appointed to head a 21-member permitting stakeholder group of business, development and real estate leaders.
Following the recommendations from Bain & Company, a global strategy and management firm, since 2005, the City has reduced the time-to-permit by 60 percent in most categories by focusing on three broad areas: Customer Satisfaction; Business Process Changes; and Advanced Technology. New leadership in the City’s Planning Department, online payment capabilities and an updated, easy-to-use website and primer have also contributed to making the process of applying and receiving a permit easy and efficient.
Permitting Highlights:
- New Single-Family residential permits went from 84 days to 28 days.
- New Commercial Permits from 185 days to 57 days.
- Commercial Alterations from 36 days to 2 days.
- Residential remodeling from 3 days to 1 day.
The Permitting Improvement Project is an ongoing initiative. In 2006, the cost of construction within the city was $3.3 billion. The City’s new and improved permitting process will accommodate its burgeoning growth and maintain a strong foundation for economic development.
To read the full Permitting Improvement Project results, visit here.
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Avoid Summer Travel Woes: Tips from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
Summer travel season is here and officials at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (HJAIA) estimate that almost 8 million passengers will pass through the world’s busiest airport this month.
HJAIA officials have provided the following tips to make summer travel safe, efficient and stress-free.
- Don’t Wait. Popular flights sell out quickly during the summer months. The longer you wait, the more expensive your trip will be.
- Travel during “Off-Peak” Times. Try to travel during mid-morning through early afternoon or in the evening hours Monday through Thursday.
- Pack with Security in Mind. All luggage is screened. Prescription drugs, jewelry or anything of value should be in your carry-on baggage. When packing toiletries, remember the 3-1-1 rule: three (3) ounce containers, in clear, one (1) quart zip-top bags, and one (1) bag per passenger that must be placed in the security bin for screening.
- ID Your Luggage, But Don’t Lock It. Identification tags should be both inside and outside bags. Baggage should remain unlocked. Should security personnel need to look inside your luggage, they may have to destroy the lock to do so.
- Online Check-In. Many airlines will allow you to check-in for flights online prior to arrival at the airport and print boarding passes and receipts.
- Arrive Early. The arrival rule at Hartsfield-Jackson is 60, 90, and 120. Arrive 60 minutes prior to your flight time if you are not checking any luggage, 90 minutes if you have luggage to check. If you are taking an international flight, allow two hours (120 minutes).
- Dress for Security Success. Avoid wearing clothes, shoes or jewelry made of metal. Don’t take wrapped presents to the airport. Mail them in advance or wrap them when you get to your destination.
For More Safety Tips, Visit www.atlanta-airport.com.
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Summer Murals Program Combines Imaginations of Youth, Artists
Murals created by Atlanta youth and local artists through the Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) Summer Murals Program will be unveiled on July 24 in five communities.
Summer Murals combines the imaginations of Atlanta youth and local artists to beautify Atlanta neighborhoods. Celebrating its ninth year, murals will be dedicated at Parkway-Angier Park, John Howell Memorial Park, South Bend Arts Center, A.D. Williams Recreation Center and Boulevard-Angier Park. Since 1999, 40 murals have been created, boasting unique public art in Atlanta communities.
Summer Murals is part of Art-for-City-Spaces, a program that provides commissions, and site-specific artwork, projects and portable collections that enliven urban areas. Through a partnership with Camp Best Friends, approximately 750 children have participated in the program since 1999. This year, Summer Murals will collaborate with ARTSCooL, a vocational city arts program, and Grady High School Italian exchange students.
“Each year Summer Murals succeeds in attracting highly successful local artists to the program and this year is no exception. The collaborative efforts of artists and youth are an exciting element to the program that will benefit the City’s children and parks,” said Camille Russell Love, director, OCA.
For more information about the 2007 Summer Murals Program, visit www.ocaatlanta.com.
Atlanta youth participate in the 2006 Summer Murals program at Grove Park. |
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Every year the City of Atlanta Urban Design Commission honors the best building designs at an awards ceremony. Click here to go to Video On Demand (VOD) webpage where you can view this year’s winning designs.
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Rave Reviews!
- On Monday, the City of Atlanta was recognized as a “5-Star Employer” by the Georgia National Guard and Reserve for its support of enlisted members who are also City employees. Mayor Shirley Franklin joined Thomas Wessels, chairman of the Georgia Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (GA ESGR) Committee, an agency of the Department of Defense (DOD), and Benita Ransom, commissioner of the Department of Human Resources, to sign a Statement of Support on behalf of the City of Atlanta. The statement affirms that the City supports its employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve in all human resources capacities. There are currently over 150 City employees active in the National Guard or Reserves. “As a city government that is working to be an employer of choice and a best-in-class managed organization, we can never thank our employees enough for their dual duty. But we hope that the policies and compensation we provide beyond the letter of the law are evidence of our support and gratitude of their service,” said Mayor Franklin.
The City of Atlanta was recognized as a “5-Star Employer” by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), for its support of enlisted reservists. Pictured (l-r, first row) Major General (Retired) Thomas Wessels, GA ESGR Chair; Mayor Shirley Franklin, City of Atlanta; Benita Ransom, Atlanta Commissioner of Human Resources. (l-r, second row) LTC Geneva Heyward, Army Reserve; Sgt William K. Murdock, Marine Corp Reserve; 1Sg Ricky S. Baker, Army National Guard; LCDR Julie Canton, Navy Reserve; PO2 Rod D. Mosley, Navy Reserve; 3rd Row: Lt. Col. Paul S. Meyer, Air Force Reserve; 2LT Darryl G. Griffing, Jr., Army National Guard; SFC Mitchell Thompson, Army Reserve; MSG Sabrina D. Watts, Army Reserve; LTC Kelvin Newsome, Army National Guard; P02 Joel G. Baker, Navy Reserve. |
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Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities
- On Wednesday July 4 from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., the Atlanta History Center will kick-off “Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World” with a ten-day public celebration. “Ben Ten: A Public Opening Celebration” will include 10 days of hands-on programming designed to help visitors understand the times in which Franklin lived. For a list of events and times, visit www.atlantahistorycenter.com.
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Job Announcements
With the City of Atlanta’s online application system, you are able to create an account and select a Username and Password and then log in to your account.
After your account has been established, you can create an application by clicking on the “Build Job Application” link. Once your application is completed, it will be stored in the system and can be used to apply for future job openings. To get started by viewing current open positions, click here.
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Weekly Features
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